


Art/words: The Truth Will Out

by LFB72



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Action, Alternate Canon, Art, Assassins & Hitmen, Canon Era, Canon-Typical Violence, Episode: s04e06 A Servant of Two Masters, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Merlin Canon Fest, Mind Control, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Snakes, Suitable for remix, Traditional Media
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-19 08:37:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12406923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LFB72/pseuds/LFB72
Summary: Art and Words for Merlin Canon Fest 2017. Season 4 episode 6: A Servant of Two Masters.Arthur is so relieved at Merlin’s return, it takes him a while to realise his servant is acting strangely:Arthur’s fist completely encases Merlin's wrist. He could crush the bone easily if he wanted to, but he doesn't want that. He does not want to hurt Merlin in any way, but his deranged servant is wielding a dagger and seemingly hell-bent on plunging it into his heart.





	Art/words: The Truth Will Out

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to the mods for organising this fest; what an amazing response — so many fantastic fics and art entries. I was lucky enough to bag this as a pitch hit; Servant of Two Masters has to be one of my favourite episodes and I couldn’t let it go unrepresented. I know it is popular with other people too, so I hope you like what I’ve done. My lovely betas, Merlinsdeheune (sindhunathi) and Pelydryn, have saved the day again — without you guys I’d be lost. Apologies to everyone in chatzy who probably wanted something lighter — there is hurt and comfort and naked Arthur, so I hope that will appease.
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> Disclaimer: Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
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>  

 

[ ](https://imgur.com/LjADQym)

 

Arthur strips for his wash; the cold air caresses his skin, making him long for the warm water. He hesitates, foot poised above the tub; the bath is bubbling violently, giving off an acrid smell that catches the back of his throat and makes his eyes water.

Arthur swallows and his shoulders tense. He slowly places his foot back down and scans the room for his sword, only to discover it is no more than a mangled lump of metal, lying on the floor, half concealed behind the bed post.

“Merlin!” he shouts, unease evident in his voice, eyes continuing to search.

The room is empty and yet he’d only been speaking to his servant moments before.

On edge, he moves forward, feeling vulnerable in his naked form. Still, be it armed or bare, the King of Camelot is a force to be reckoned with, and woe betide the fool who tries.

He catches movement in his peripheral vision and spins around, arms up and ready.

Nothing could prepare him for this:

 

 

Merlin lunges, teeth bared, completely feral.

Arthur jumps back, determined to deflect the body hurtling towards him. His fist completely encases Merlin's wrist. He could crush the bone easily if he wanted to, but he doesn't want that. Arthur does not want to hurt Merlin in any way, but his deranged servant is wielding a dagger and seemingly hell-bent on plunging it into his heart.

“What the…”

“Arthur Pendragon must die!” Merlin growls.

_“Stop this! What the hell are you doing?”_

Merlin grunts, twisting this way and that, desperately trying to free himself from his king’s grip.

“Arthur Pendragon must die,” he says again, as if Arthur hadn’t got the hint.

Merlin takes advantage of the king’s shock and surges forward. Arthur’s bare feet have no purchase and he’s pushed back, his foot blocked by the bathtub and seemingly trapped.

Years of training have not gone to waste; Arthur releases his grip, letting Merlin fall forward as he dives to the side and rolls backwards over his shoulder. He uses momentum to spring up onto his toes, ready for the next onslaught, but Merlin has gone.

“Merlin?”

A chair crashes into the bedpost just above his head. Splinters shower his shoulders and bits fly into the bath tub; the water rises like a hungry bird and gobbles them up — instantly dissolving the wood.

The door rattles and he can hear the guards on the other side.

“Sire? Sire, is everything alright?”

“Get Gaius!” he yells, ducking a metal pitcher.

“I can’t believe I keep missing; it’s not like your arse isn’t big enough.”

_“Really, Merlin! Is that what this is all about?_ Look, I shouldn’t have called you skinny, I admit it, but —”

A silver fork whistles past his ear and lodges itself in the headboard of the bed with a resounding twang.

“Let’s talk about this.” Arthur edges along the side of the bed.

“Words aren't really your forte, are they, Arthur? I mean, I write most of your speeches,” Merlin crows as he hurls a knife — it joins the fork, both now firmly embedded in the headboard. “Always have been a bit dim, haven't you! Don’t even know what’s going on under your own nose half the time.”

Arthur blanches. He wants to retaliate but he really hasn’t got the time to get into a verbal sparring match when he needs his wits to stay alive. His fingers feel under the pillow for the weapon he keeps there.

“Looking for this?” Merlin twirls the knife, tossing it between his hands, manic grin on his face.

“Just put that down, right now.”

“No, I don’t think I will.”

“This is lunacy! You can’t beat me, Merlin. I’m the best fighter in all the five kingdoms. Just give it up, before you hurt yourself. This isn’t you.”

He laughs, cruel and high. “You know nothing about me.”

“I do: your favourite colour is blue, you’re brighter than you look and sneak into the library when no one is looking, you put everyone else before yourself, and you don’t smile anymore, least not as much as you used to, as much as you should.”

Merlin is still. Perhaps Arthur is finally getting through. He sighs. “I know you don’t want to kill me.”

It’s the worst thing to say.

“Wrong! Your death occupies my every waking hour! I won’t rest until it’s done!”

Merlin charges, dagger aloft.

Arthur grabs his wrist and twists until the weapon drops to the floor, but he does not release his quarry.

“You’re not a killer, Merlin. For god’s sake, stop this madness. You catch spiders and deliberately scare the animals away on hunts rather than see them die.”

Merlin snorts. “You have no idea how many people I’ve had to kill for you.”

Arthur does not want to think about that, he’s too busy preventing Merlin’s advance. For a supposedly skinny and frail man Merlin is putting up one hell of a fight – _isn’t that what Arthur likes about him? His tenacity, his spirit?_

Merlin shows no sign of slowing down or coming to his senses. Arthur’s hands are sweaty and he’s losing his grip. He shakes his head, half speaking to himself. “What the hell has got into you?”

For a second Merlin pauses, and Arthur gets a good look at his eyes. They’re not the crystal blue spheres he’s used to; there’s a tinge of green that has no place there, and instead of a round, black pupil, there’s a slit.

Merlin blinks. “I have to kill you.”

“Why? What’s this all about; what have I done?”

He does not respond. There is no long tirade of wrongs, no tales of injustice or promises of revenge. Merlin just stops and blinks again as if he doesn’t understand the question.

Seeing a glimmer of hope, Arthur pushes. “Come on, Merlin, you would never hurt me. I know you’re in there somewhere.”

Merlin hisses.

_So much for that!_

“Please, I don’t want to hurt you. The knights will be here soon, my uncle, and then it’s all over, there’s no going back.

“I have to kill you.”

Anger and frustration are boiling up. Arthur is not a negotiator; his skill has always been action, yet he can’t bring himself to perform the one act that will put an end to it. _Maybe that’s what it takes?_

Arthur puts all his weight into forcing Merlin against a wall. He hears a crack as his servant’s skull slams into the stone and his body goes slack.

“Merlin!” _No! What have I done?_

Merlin’s blue eyes blink open. “Arthur?”

Arthur lets go. “Merlin! Thank the gods!”

It’s a momentary reprieve. Merlin shakes his head, focusing, but instead of the broad smile Arthur is expecting, a shadow falls across his servant’s face, eyes once again serpentine.

“Why can’t you just die!”

They both scramble for the dagger; Arthur gets there first. He turns the point around so it’s pressing against Merlin’s chest.

“Stop this, please.”

Merlin does not stop. He does not flinch, pushing forward until a red dot appears in the centre of his shirt. _The fool is going to kill himself!_

Arthur snaps. He pulls the blade away, shoves Merlin backwards, and pushes the weapon into his hand.

 “Go on then.” He goads. “Kill me. Kill your king if that is what you want. You spent all that time telling me what a wonderful ruler I will make, how glorious the future will be. For what? So you can laugh in my face when you plunge the knife in my back?”

Having been given permission seems to confuse Merlin; he stares at Arthur, turning the blade in his fingers but not moving.

Arthur paces. “I’m right here.” He points to his chest. “What’s the matter? Changed your mind?”

Merlin blinks.

Arthur halts in front of his servant and peers into his eyes. “You don’t want to, do you?”

“I…”

“Face it, Merlin, your heart’s not in it.” He waves his arms in a grandiose gesture, sarcasm dripping from his lips. “Let’s see: visible poison on my food, crossbows and swords, acid baths and daggers — where’s the effort? Where’s the creativity?

Because if you really wanted me dead, Merlin, you would have done what all the others have tried and failed to do. You would have used your magic!”

Everything stops.

The knife slips from Merlin’s fingers making a loud clatter. He blinks, eyes changing back to that brilliant blue.

_Thank the gods!_

It’s not over; Merlin’s irises flood with gold. His head drops back and he screams. It doesn’t sound human. The glass in the windows shatters and Merlin’s knees give way, body pitching forward.

Arthur catches him before he hits the ground. He doesn’t notice his own feet moving or the shards of glass stuck in them. Arthur’s arms wrap around his servant in a firm embrace. The second within the week — people will talk — he does not care.

Arthur is exhausted; he takes deep breaths trying to force the oxygen back in his body. He finally has Merlin back, the real Merlin, his Merlin. He shuts his eyes, holding Merlin close to his chest, breathing in the smell of his clothes and absorbing the heat from his body.

 

“It’s all right. I have you.” He says, rubbing circles on his servant’s back. “It’s over.”

Merlin begins to stir. Arthur eases his hold letting the other man find his sitting balance. His eyes open slowly, trying to focus; he squints, rubbing his head.

“Arthur?”

“Welcome back, Merlin.” Arthur smiles.

Merlin’s mouth falls open as he surveys the devastated room. He fixes his gaze upon Arthur, mouth opening and closing a few times. “What happened? Why are you naked?”

Arthur grabs a sheet, hastily wrapping it around his torso. “It’s a long story. I was about to take a bath —”

“You're hurt!” Merlin points to some blood on the floor, and Arthur notes the cut on his foot.

“Oh that. It’s nothing.” He shrugs. “You tried to kill me.”

Merlin pales. “I —”

“I’m fine. You were a truly terrible assassin, even managed to knock yourself out…

There is an awkward pause.

That’s what stopped it in the end.” Arthur lies, pointing to the back of his skull. “Must have finally knocked some sense into you. Really, Merlin, you were like a man possessed.”

The servant winces, rubbing the back of his neck, and continues to blink owlishly.

The door bursts open.

Gaius, guards, Guinevere and Agravaine spill into the room.

“Sire! Your Highness, are you alright?” Agravaine elbows his way past the physician to get to Arthur first. He helps his nephew up and drapes his jacket over Arthur’s shoulders. “We heard a commotion.”

“We’re fine.” Arthur bats his uncle away. “There was…”

He can’t concentrate. Merlin is too distracting, he still seems dazed and confused.

“Actually, Gaius, I think you might want to take a look at Merlin first.”

The old man is already at his ward's side, but he stops, raising an eyebrow.

“He’s not seriously hurt, just in shock, I think.”

Gaius nods. “Very well.” He catches Arthur’s eye. “Do you need medical attention, My Lord?”

Arthur shakes his head. “Just a few scratches.”

A small cough. “Arthur?”

“Yes, Uncle?” Agravaine looks expectant.

“There was another attempt on my life. I stopped it.”

“The assassin?”

Arthur motions to the smashed windows. “Gone.”

He watches Gaius resume his medical exam, checking Merlin’s eyes, palpating his face and neck. Seemingly satisfied, he drapes a blanket over his ward’s shoulders, helping him up.

Merlin staggers as he’s led out the room, glancing over at Arthur frequently as Gaius is speaking to him. It’s clear Merlin’s not sure what’s going on, which makes it highly unlikely he’ll remember anything of what happened. Agravaine’s voice intrudes on his thoughts.

“Sire, may I —”

“I’m sorry, Uncle, but can’t it wait? This is not the time.”

“But, surely —”

“Not now, Uncle. I’ve had a long day, and I just want to get dressed.”

Silence.

“Of course.” Agravaine nods, taking it upon himself to usher everyone out of the room with much more fuss and force than necessary.  

“Guinevere?”

She turns. “Yes, Sire?”

“Can you please tell my servant to come and clear up this mess?”

She visibly scowls, and he can tell she is displeased. “Listen Arthur, Merlin —”

Arthur holds up his hands, nearly losing the sheet covering his modesty. 

“Not Merlin, George. Please tell George to come and see to my room.”

“Oh, yes, of course.” She smirks as she turns to leave, and Arthur definitely does not hear her say, ‘George will absolutely love that,’ under her breath.

The door closes. Arthur is alone.

Merlin has magic! He’d suspected for a while, but to have it confirmed so dramatically is a shock. Arthur flops onto the bed, head in his hands.

Merlin has magic. Merlin’s magic saved them, broke the enchantment, or whatever the hell it was. It stopped Merlin killing him. Arthur wonders how many other times Merlin’s magic saved the day — saved him. There is no doubt in his mind; Merlin is a good man, not a traitor. He has proven his loyalty over and over and yet... _Where does magic fit into all this?_  It goes against everything he believes in — the very thought makes him cringe and bile fill his mouth.

Even under the influence of a dark force, Merlin couldn't bring himself to hurt Arthur, just as Arthur could never truly harm Merlin. There are others who would, of course, people dead set on pulling them apart and destroying him and his kingdom. Arthur is determined to find out who. There is still a collaborator in Camelot, someone close, intent on doing harm.

 Arthur rubs his face. For now, he will have to be content with watching, and revelations about magic will have to wait. Maybe it’s just as well, as he really can’t quite get his head around it or the fact someone would try and use Merlin against him. He needs to know what happened, and he suspects by the physician's demeanour that Gaius knows a lot more than he’s letting on.

There is a knock and George enters the room. Clicking his heals, body erect and awaiting instruction.

Arthur gives him the task of clearing up and must look away to hide his smile when a look of awe crosses George's pompous face. Arthur doesn’t want to tell him this will be his last assignment; he looks so pleased to have a duster in his hand. It’s a shame really, George's dismissal will be crushing, but it can’t be helped. He’s ten times more efficient than Merlin, but he will never measure up — no one will. Merlin is his servant, his friend, his… there’s no one like him, no one else he’s closer to. Arthur intends to keep it that way — magic or no magic, he can’t lose him, he came close and he couldn't bare it, and he won’t let it happen again.

 

THE END

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> It always struck me as odd that Merlin never used his magic - I guess Merlin's magic always had a soft spot for Arthur and would not let him!  
> I also wanted to contrive a situation where Arthur has to talk Merlin down.  
> Thanks for taking a peek, I hope you liked it.


End file.
